OSAKA UNIVERSITY SHORT-TERM STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM

1. Accommodation

Living accommodations for OUSSEP students are provided at the Suita International Student Dormitory, Osaka University for male students, and at the International House, Osaka University for female students.
Daily cleaning of the entire facility is left to the residents, but a house cleaning will be done occasionally by a contractor. All the students should cooperate with each other to maintain the condition of their residence.

*Refer to the Appendix for additional information on dormitory life including rental fees.

2. Living Expense

The JASSO monthly stipend of 80,000 yen is usually enough to cover the regular expense of living at the dormitories, including food, rent, utilities, insurance and local transportation.
We request all the students to bring some money of their own (100,000 yen at least) as they arrive at Osaka because they have to pay some cost (about 25,000 yen) necessary for accommodation before getting the arrival allowance. We also advise them to keep, while they are here, some contingency fund to be prepared for any unexpected expenditure.

3. In Case of Emergency

In case of emergency, while students are at the dormitory, they should ask for help from the dormitory staff. In case of accidents or emergencies outside their dormitory, they should contact their friends or people around them for assistance. In serious and more urgent cases, they should dial the following emergency telephone numbers.

For 24-hour Police services
(crimes, traffic accidents, etc.) : 110
For 24-hour Fire Department services
(fire, ambulance, rescue services) :119

These numbers may be dialed toll-free from any telephones, public or private. Inform the International Student Center of the incident as soon as possible in all cases.

4. Electric Power

Each student must pay utility bills according to the procedures at his/her dormitory.

5. Telephone

The Suita Foreign Student House, Osaka University provides a telephone set in each room. It operates on a special prepaid system. At the International House, Osaka University, there is a telephone terminal in each room but each student has to register with a telephone company office to have a telephone set hooked up and use it. Also, recently many of international students use mobile phones. Public telephones are available at both residences. Anyone may call overseas from them.

6. International Telephone Calls

Some of international telephone companies, such as KDDI(001), ITJ(0041), IDC(0061), provide direct dialing international services. Toll charges and the countries accessible differ somewhat among them. Public international telephones may be found at a few locations on the University Campuses. Students may buy prepaid cards available for international telephone calls at convenience stores.

7. Television

Students have to pay for a license of NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyoukai or Pubic Broadcasting Corporation), if they set up television sets in their rooms. For satellite channels each student has to install a parabolic antenna and a tuner on his/her own and pay additional monthly fees.

8. Newspapers

Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, and Nikkei Shimbun are the five major Japanese newspapers with nationwide distribution. The Japan Times, International Herald Tribune / The Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Daily News and The Daily Yomiuri are English language newspapers published daily in this country.
Students can order monthly subscriptions through a local newspaper agency or buy a copy at railway station kiosks, convenience stores, etc. Monthly subscription fees are between 4,000-5,000 yen.

9. Local Transportation

Osaka University operates free hourly shuttle bus service between the Suita Campus, the Toyonaka Campus and the Minoh Campus. The Osaka Monorail also connects the three campuses. Many students ride bicycles for commuting between their residence and either of the two campuses.
Cities of Osaka, Suita, Toyonaka and Minoh are adjacent to each other. A network of railroads connects them within half an hour. One may readily travel to Downtown Osaka by various public transportation systems.

*Local transportation maps will be made available. You may find a simplified map in the last page of OUSSEP Calendar.
**A timetable for transportation by the shuttle bus will be also made available on your arrival.

10. Shopping

There are many around-the-clock convenience stores in your neighborhood. Generally speaking, Japanese department stores sell at a list price, and supermarket s and discount department stores sell at a lower price. In these days, 100-yen-shops, which sell several products just by one coin, 100 yen, are popular amongst students.

11. Banks

Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays. In most cases, ATMs operate from 9 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. on weekdays, and for a shorter period on Saturdays or Sundays. Generally they shut down on Sundays. Banks issue a "cash card" for ATM to each of their clients. Students may find ATMs at a few sites on the University campuses.

12. Postal Service

Within Japan, students can send their mail by regular, special delivery and registered mail. They can also send parcels from a post office. For overseas, both air mail and surface mail services are available. Students may also send regular, special delivery and registered mail and parcels. In addition to the postal services, a convenient express package delivery services, called takuhaibin, is offered by a number of private courier companies for delivery within Japan and overseas.

13. Medical Service

We advise OUSSEP students to call the Osaka University Health Care Center on either Campus when a health problem arises. Staff members at IRIS of the International Student Center are also available for necessary advice. In case of serious illness, there is the Osaka University Hospital. Be advised, however, that the University Hospital is usually overcrowded so there may be long waits before attention is received from a physician. In an urgent case, follow the instructions in section 3.
Health insurance may not cover all dental treatments.

14. Sports and Recreation

Students may use tennis courts, gymnasiums and other sports facilities of the University. Reservations are made at the counter of the Department of Student Affairs in the University Headquarter's Building.
Public gyms, tennis courts and swimming pools are also available in the local communities.

15. Points of Interests

There are numerous historic sites and scenic spots in the Kinki District. We encourage students to visit them with their friends. The nearby cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe are quickly and easily reached by train.
Umeda, Nanba and Tennoji are three major entertainment districts in the City of Osaka.

16. Restaurants, Etc.

There are a lot of restaurants in Kita-senri, Senri-chuo, Ibaraki (near Suita Campus), Ishibashi, Ikeda, and Toyonaka (near Toyonaka Campus). Students can enjoy dinner at a reasonable price in many of them.
There are only a few restaurants, which carry a halal menu. Moslem students may get information from their Moslem friends. The same applies for other students who have restrictions on their diet due to their religion or to other reasons.
There are many restaurant, entertainment and recreational spots in these areas as well as in Downtown Osaka.

OUSSEP